This is a fascinating and disturbing tale that illustrates just how hard it is to convict somebody who has a lot of money and power. Cullen Davis, warped little rich boy dominated by his incredibly wealthy and megalomanic father, grows up to inherit most of the fortune and position. What does he do with it? He chases sex kitten type women, showers them with lavish gifts, and abuses them.

Naifeh and Smith raise the true crime genre to something close to literature here. We have the usual litany of sickies and psychopaths, the usual police incompetence, prosecutors who can't prosecute, etc. The "final justice" in the title is somewhat ironic since multimillionaire Cullen Davis is never found guilty of any of his crimes, the worst of which was the cold-blooded murder of his wife's 12-year-old daughter; the least of which, perhaps the killing of her kitten. The juries in Texas just would not convict him (although they have put a number of poor people on death row). Instead they admired him for his money, stupidly since he just inherited it. And before the book is over, he blows most of it.

We get a terrible sense here that people with riches in positions of power really can get away with murder. People look up to them regardless of their crimes. It helps us to understand how murderers like Sadaam Hussein and what's his name in Yugoslavia continue in power. It's not just that people are afraid of them, they look up to them and find ways to excuse their crimes. This is the human tribal mind at work: better our corrupt and evil leader than theirs, and better a corrupt and evil leader than no leader at all. The women in this one come off as particularly subject to manipulation by power and money, although that was not necessarily the authors' intent. They wanted to show just what a sick, sick man Cullen Davis is, and they succeed in that. But incidentally they revealed the women around him, especially his gold-digging wives, as sad, sad creatures who would be abused and wallow in it for the sake of being close to all that money and power and maybe getting a little of it. One has the sense that they couldn't help themselves.

This is a good read that will rouse your sense of indignation.

it actually happened!!!

Don't look at the facts. Facts are **BAD***!! Let's attack the victims and divert attention away from what the case was all about...the murder of a twelve year old girl and a family aquaintance.

OJ's "Dream Team" (what a joke) must've used this case as a template for OJ's defense, because the similarities are eerie.

Highly recommended.

This book is really, the most precise account of the murders and trials. Some of the other books on the murder trials of Mr. Davis are very goddy and don't focus on the facts of the case. I really think that Mr. Naifeh did an excellent job with the content and details of this novel.I hope that people will not simply judge a case or story by one book, and know that you must have a numerous amount of facts and reality before you try to judge someone or something.

The natural science lessons in this enjoyable little book are evident in the slightly silly characters and droll rhymes. For both the young child and the adult reading it aloud, this could be a delightful "learning about the birds and bees" experience. The text can be easily simplified or expanded according to the listener's interest and ability. This book would be fun to give to an anniversary couple, to new parents, or to a "big sister or big brother". This book made my grandchild smile. Me too.

This is a great book for a very basic introduction to love and reproduction for a young child around 4 years old. The main text of the story is cute and rhyming with no great detail about reproduction, just the words "sperm" and "eggs" without the hows of it. The pictures and words contain entertaining animal facts about how various fish, birds, and mammals court and raise their young. However, in small print on the bottom of each page are a couple of sentences containing a more in-depth explanation of reproduction, naming the body parts and how they fit together, so you can just read the rhyming cute part for a very young child and add the specifics as you choose for an older child. The illustrations are very cute and whimsical and not at all realistic; for example, baby seahorses in bonnets in a carriage and a crab as a knight in armor. There are no diagrams of actual anatomy. If you are looking for a book illustrating the male and female anatomy you will need to find a different book. This is really just a cute introduction to love and mating, and you will need other books to explain the specifics.

The whole book is written in funny rhymes. Each page gives a little short factoid about the mating behavior of many different animal species. The part on humans is only about two short pages, but it does give a brief overview of "the birds and the bees" in a humorous but straightforward way without going into great detail. You will have to fill in the blanks for your child. My daughter thinks this is a great book, and I agree. The illustrations are hilarious! However, if you are looking for a book that goes into more detail about human reproduction, I recommend the classic, "Where did I come from?"

Contains all the daily and Sunday strips August 27, 1979 through March 30, 1980.

Nermal comes to visit in this book, with hilarious results! Stop reading this review and get this book!

It's me again-the guy who has all the Garfield books. Just don't ask any questions and buy ALL of Garfield's books cuz he is da bomb! Thank you.

Contains all the daily and Sunday strips April 9, 2000 through November 4, 2000.

I have loved Garfield since I started reading about him, and I'm always after the next one. If I was to say my favorite comic in this book, it would probably be the one where Jon says, "YAH" and Garfield says, "Paper cut", then Jon says, "YAAH", and Garfield says, "Envelope Cut", then Jon says, "YAAAAAAAAAAAH", or something, (I can't remember how many "A"'s in that "YAH"). Then Garfield says, "And that would be the stamp cut", and smiles. However, another favorite of mine in this book is when Jon gets a paper cut on his tongue and Garfield offers a potato chip. You know what happens then, Jon says, "NYAH GAH NYAH NYAH GAAAAH GAH GAH NYAH" (or something like that) because Garfield remembers how to make "Fun with salt". This is definitely a must-own for any Garfield lover.

This book is awesome, as usual. Jim Davis has come through with another excellent collection of Garfield comics, and the new, larger, color format is much more fun to read! Garfield and Odie's antics will keep you laughing from cover to cover. This book is a must read for any Garfield fanatic.

As an executive in a Fortune 50 corporation, this book has allowed me to deal with great personal loss, and also empathize with those I work closely with who are grieving. Rarely does material cross my desk which makes me take notice, such as Dr. Mannino's did.

I was captivated by the ease of the excersises, as well as the quite difficult issues we all face at times in our daily lives. I applaude you on your efforts Dr.Maninno, job very well done.

I am a chaplain and have used Grieving Days, Healing Days since it came out in 1997. It should be in every caregiver's "took box." I don't leave home without it. I often give copies to those in need and feel I have done something wonderful. I only wished more people knew about this fine book.

Chaplain Robert F. M.

I had just lost a partner to cancer and Dr. Mannino's book, Grieving Days, Healing Days, saved the day for me. It has everything from A to Z for people dealing with loss. I truly appreciated the many exercises for expressing and working through my loss. The book is warmly written, witty where useful, and filled with lots of "homespun" tips for getting back to normal and ultimately back to life. This is clearly a self-help book that does exactly that--teaches one to help themselves. Bravo Dr. Mannino, well done!

My 17 month old son loves this book, I bought the whole textured series for him. He's had the books for several months and had not gotten bored of them. Every adult who comes to the house loves the books and goes to buy them for their own children.

I was given this book as a gift and was immediately taken in by the foam textures and colors. Upon opening the book and discovering text hidden behind the pop out sea creatures, I was thrilled. It is a great first book since the child can feel all the different sea creatures. My 4 month old loved teething on the sea horse! She learned very quickly that she could pop out the creatures and that each felt differently. Furthermore, I could wash them when she finished chewing on them or let her play with them in the bath.

In addition to being a high quality activity book, the actual text is written in riddles using a high level of vocabulary that will challenge a child for many years with words such as 'puckery' and 'skitters'.

This is a book that can easily be baby's first, but it will also challenge her for years to come.

My 11-month old baby loves this book. Finally a book that she can play with, and read without destroying it. It has: a fish, a crab, a sea horse, and a starfish. It serves as a bath toy, and is a colorful puzzle. She picks up the pieces and tries to put them back on. It is surviving her teething quite well so far... I'm buying more of that series for her and for gifts!

This was the only bio I could find on Linda Darnell and I must say, it was worth the money. The author's honest depiction and narrative of this actress is wonderfully written. I highly recommend this insightful biography!

I always liked Linda Darnell. My mother had told me about her when I was in my early teens, saw some of her films, and was quite taken by her. She wasn't a great actress, but she certainly wasn't a bad one, either. But when you look like that, who cares? Linda, born Monetta Eloyse Darnell in Texas, was blessed, or cursed, with a strikingly beautiful face. Pushed by her volatile, ambitious mother, Linda was signed to a contract at 20th Century Fox at the age of 15. Touted as Fox's "Glory Girl", she was featured in several films as a decorative brunette. With her lovely "Latin" looks (her grandfather actually was part Cherokee) and voluptuous figure, she adorned the screen in films such as "The Mask of Zorro" and "Blood and Sand", playing "good girls". When her box-office appeal started to wane, she was still barely over 20 years old. Her personal problems began to mount, dealing with her overbearing mother, a mounting drinking problem that began when she was married to her first husband, (who was some twenty-odd years older), and the fact that she could not bear children. Ms. Darnell's career picked up, however, when she started playing gorgeous "bad girls" in films such as "Fallen Angel", "Hangover Square", and the overblown costume epic "Forever Amber", in which she played an upwardly mobile woman of ill repute. Her best role, as the golddigger with a tender heart in Joseph Mankiewicz's "A Letter to Three Wives", came in 1949, but from then on it was pretty much downhill. Ms. Darnell's personal life became a series of unhappy marriages, exploitative relationships, a spotty career, alcoholism, and ultimately ended in a spectacularly awful way: she was horribly burned in a house fire in 1965, with 2nd and 3rd degree burns on 90% of her body,lingered for about 33 hours, and died, aged 41.
The book is a quick, albeit depressing read. Ronald Davis, also a native Texan, writes with compassion for his subject. Several interviews with her siblings, friends, and adopted daughter give a sympathetic portrayal of the "Fallen Angel". To put it in a nutshell, Ms. Darnell wasn't tough enough to handle the ups and downs of show business. Her tale isn't the first nor the last about the cruel world of showbiz, but it just seems even more depressing, when one thinks of the beauty with the face of a Madonna, going downhill at such a young age, and dying so horribly. I may add that there are eerie foreshadowings of her demise in three of her best known films. In "Hangover Square", she is strangled by Laird Cregar, who places her body on a bonfire on Guy Fawkes Day; in "Anna and the King of Siam", Linda, playing the runaway concubine Tuptim, is burned at the stake; and in "Forever Amber", she bears witness to the Great Fire of London. Creepy, isn't it?
Just a word of warning: Don't read this book if you're depressed!

One of those books you don't want to put down- sensitively written the author follows Darnell's career and personal life-highlighting how much the beauriful Darnell was liked by her contemporaries in the movie world. A must to add to any library.

They say that a good book is like a good friend because each one
requires quality time and produces everlasting memories.I have
formed such a friendship with The Homeboy by Michael E. Davis.
The only criticism I have is one book per year is not acceptable
and that Michael needs to write faster.
Looking forward to the sequel.

The story kept me eager and interested to "keep going" to see what was going to happen next! The 'variety' of events, places and characters were very interesting and exciting. If it were a movie, it would have the audience on the edge of their seats in fear (at times) and anticipation. I truly enjoyed it. Good Job Michael! - Gerry - Trenton, IL

As non-fiction advocate, this a magnificent book that could not have been timed any better with regards to the current events rocking the catholic church and its leaders.
Having been educated overseas during my adolescence years in an all boys, Catholic, vocational, boarding, private technical institute (minus the abuse), I'm very familiar with the strict and sometimes harsh conditions (tougher than military school) Davis is describing in this most reveling book.
Davis does a very good job in describing the Puget Sound, Seattle and its surroundings---I ate it up !!!

"Garfield by the Pound" is a cute book, but I enjoyed "Garfield Hang's Out" even more. The humor in this wasn't at it's greatest, but still can make you chuckle. A must for fans - I recommend.

Everybody out there keep buying Garfield books! They can be worth a lot of money someday and can become collector's items! I'm always going to keep all of mine so when I have kids they can read them!

I have this book it is so GOOD! the one i like the most is the one wher garfield says it's show time then he fall's then he say's it's intermission. HE'S COOOOOOL!

I have a hard time reviewing this work: on the one hand, the background of this sometimes lyrical novel provides an insight into one of the slighted players in the infamous Salem Witch Trials of the 17th C, Tituba, the slave of Rev. Samuel Parris; on the other hand, although purporting to 'use' history to explore broader themes, Conde takes many liberties with actual events and other elements, which distort the narrative. To me, the best parts of this novel are the beginning and the end (the created 'history' of Tituba); also, the characterizations of Tituba, John Indian (her husband), Benjamin Cohen (a Jewish immigrant who becomes both Tituba's owner and lover), and the 'spirits' to whom Tituba talks, are vividly drawn. We see Tituba's origin in the brutal rape of her mother, Abena, by a Englishman while she is on her way to Barbados enslaved, and Abena's hanging for rebelling against another sexual assault. This has a profound effect on Tituba, and on her relations with men generally and whites in particular. As the story progresses, factual elements come into play: Tituba ends up in the service of Samuel Parris; she befriends his wife, daughter, and niece, only to be betrayed in Salem by everyone, including her faithless husband; she is found guilty in the trials (of which Conde includes an actual transcript of Tituba's deposition, but little else about the trials themselves). Conde adds fictional narrative to fill out the next stage of Tituba's life: sold to Benjamin Cohen, who frees her; her return to Barbados, where she encounters 'maroons'(free black men and women who live in hiding, plotting to overthrow the white regime) and where she will meet the same end as her mother. There are some wonderful scenes in this book, which realizes Conde's goal of reminding the reader that Tituba was a 'real person', not just a footnote.
However, there are also several elements that jar the reader out of this narrative (as the Afterward clearly illuminates). As I was reading the book, modern words such as 'feminist' appear; the section with the most incongruities was the insertion of Hester Prynne, from Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter', in Tituba's cell during the Salem trials (although Hawthorne's story took place about 50 years earlier). The two women have several conversations that are obviously meant to bring home a modern sensibility. When I realized who Tituba's fellow prisoner was, I frankly -- and literally -- groaned. But Conde doesn't stop there: in this version, Hester doesn't live to have the scarlet 'A' emblazoned on her bodice. The scenes with Hester also illustrate two running themes that seemed to be beaten into the story: men are pretty much scum, and whites -- especially Puritans -- are pretty much evil and can't be trusted (the one exception is Benjamin Cohen, part of another persecuted group). Conde has a good grasp of the failings of Puritanism (it's known that many Puritans 'dabbled' in things like palm reading, even though it was obviously 'ungodly'); however, she creates a different origin for the Salem witch trials than is historically correct, and simplfies historical characters to the point that they are almost ridiculous. By the time I got to the Afterward (one out of the four stars I gave this book is for that alone), I was pretty annoyed at the liberties Conde took with language and history. The Afterward did, however, help me understand some of what Conde intended, and her work in the context of modern Caribbean literature. An interview with Conde is included, and in it she states, "Do not take 'Tituba' too seriously, please." Conde says that the story is part "parody", and that Tituba is a "mock-epic" heroine. Although I 'get it' now, the fact that the Afterward had to explain to me what the book meant (and much of the explanantion contained there seems to contradict itself)signals that the book failed on many levels. This is especially true in the Foreward, written by Angela Davis, which seems to take the book's messages very seriously; in thanking Conde for her vision, Davis says Tituba "dies as a revolutionary", and that this work is Tituba's "revenge" for being ignored by mainstream history. While I agree that Tituba needs more attention, I think that she also deserved more than this version of her life, without the inclusion of literary characters and simplistic stereotyping of men.

It wasn't a European Witch that started the Witch-hunts in Salem; in fact it was a young Barbados Voodoo Practitioner. And although Tituba was no Voodoo Queen such as Marie Laveau, Tituba's life was just as interesting. This is a good read.

I bought this book years ago at in the gift shop of The Witch Museum in Salem, MA. Never got around to reading it until now...I can't believe I waited so long! I've only started reading it, but the first 5 chapters alone have been superb. Highly recommended!